Dissenting design book needs to be on your shelf

Nearly two years after this incredible, indispensable, 230 page book was released in paperback I have finally got my muckraking hands on it. Milton Glaser and Mirko Ilic’s The Design of Dissent is a phenomenal repository of political poster art (and more) that I’ve now realized is an essential addition to any shelf, coffee table, library, or revolutionary basement on the planet.

The book is visually stunning – a keen eye for layout, mixed with a healthy dose of breathing space and exceptional curatorial decision-making make for 200+ pages of explosive and provocative political art.

Divided into sections that range from “Ex-Yugoslavia” to “Food” to “U.S. Presidential Election” this offering from Rockport Publishers is one of the best books illustrating the collusion/confusion of politics and art that I have seen.

The images are part historical testament, part marginalized voice, and part pop culture intervention. Together they make up a book that is an essential for anyone interested in political art, dissent, democracy, and the spirit of creative visual production to pry open the closed spaces of culture and community.

The school of visual arts in NY has also created a site highlighting some 100 of the political posters curated by Glasher, you can view it here.